The Great Mann

"There ain't no peacetime for the American Negro." ~ 59%

I am not a fan of retellings. I find that most are too close to the original so why bother. While others are so modernized that it's, again, why bother. The Great Gatsby is one of the few classic lit books that I enjoy re-reading every few years. So when I saw there is a new retelling set amongst L.A.'s Black elite, I could not resist reading the advance copy.

Let me set the picture for you, Bookhearts. The year is 1945. Young veteran Charlie Trammel steps off a cross-country train into Los Angeles. He is looking to settle in starting with a promising career at a Black-owned insurance firm. His cousin, Margie, introduces him to Black excellence in Sugar Hill. 

It is there that Trammel meets James "Reaper" Mann, the host of extravagant parties with guests such as Hattie McDaniel. Even though everyone keeps saying Sugar Hill is safe, tension thickens as whites become frustrated with their own dwindling fortunes while watching the Black elite thrive in a post-war America.

"Wealth's got a heartbeat." ~ 81%

The Great Mann is a retelling done right! Just enough of the original story with a unique point of view. Extravagance, lies, courtroom drama, an affair, wealth and cameos. At the heart of the story is the central theme of the American Dream, just like in The Great Gatsby. The characters and dialogue kept me so interested that I was lost in their 1940s world. Kyra Davis Lurie masterfully remixes a classic with a Black spin. Need I say more? Add to your bookshelves soon as it is available.

Happy Early Pub Day, Kyra Davis Lurie! The Great Mann will be available Tuesday, June 10.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Great Mann
Author: Kyra Davis Lurie
Published: June 2025
Pages: 320
Edition: Galley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

When We Talk to God

"Jesus paid it all, and I would like the dividends of peace, please." ~ pg. 59

Poet-theologian Sharifa Stevens captures the arc, ache and grace of a Black woman in a new release titled When We Talk to God. Through prayers and poems, she covers a broad range of topics such as motherhood, grief, joy, faith and success. I did not relate to all but there were plenty that I bookmarked to revisit again. There is a poem/prayer for every mood and every season in a Black woman's life within this collection.

I admit a few of the passages threw me off because of the language bordering on blasphemy (questioning God) but the author keeps it real. She put on paper what some of us may be thinking. My major takeaway was how the prayers encourage us to talk to God. Have a conversation. Nothing is off limits. Don't worry about being politically correct or saying the right thing the right away at a designated time. Just open your heart and talk to Him.

The vivid artistic book cover of When We Talk to God, as well as the beautiful illustrations within, will make it a good addition to your personal library, coffee table, or gift for Mother's Day, Women's Day or Girls' Night. 

Happy Pub Day, Sharifa Stevens! When We Talk to God is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: When We Talk to God
Author: Sharifa Stevens
Published: May 2025
Pages: 192
Edition: Galley
Genre: Spiritual Nonfiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"For a trial lawyer, there are two words in the English language that terrify us more than any other."

~ Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

If You Stayed

"Let go of what's dragging you, baby girl. Then you can walk more freely." ~ 6%

How many times have we asked ourselves this book title? What if you stayed? Well author Brittainy Cherry answers this question and more in a new romance fiction novel. 

Gabriel is Kierra's first everything. Her first friend, first kiss, first love and first heartbreak. One tragic accident tore them apart, leaving Gabriel with no memory and Kierra with a world of guilt. Fast forward a few years to Kierra in a loveless marriage when Gabriel re-enters her life (because we all know it's a small world). Feelings stir, memories threaten to surface and controlling jealousy rears its ugly head.

"Self-forgiveness was one of the hardest things to do." ~ 68%

As an overthinker, I appreciated Kierra's natural instinct to think through every possible scenario. She did not make any kneejerk decisions like chicks in romance novels often do. She was a planner that considered others' feelings before her own. This was not the typical spin the block plot. It really was a second chance romance that I could not put down.

Oh, the emotions this book gave me! All the feels as the story came together! Bookhearts, you will want to read this book in just one or two sittings. It is not spicy or steamy romance. It is what could happen IRL type romance. All sides of love are explored: the good, the bad and the ugly. Tension is built with suspense hanging at every chapter. And the writing is just beautiful.

I have not read many of Brittainy Cherry's books, but I will definitely add more to my shelf now. I recommend you do the same.

If You Stayed is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: If You Stayed
Author: Brittainy Cherry
Published: April 2025
Pages: 397
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

My Friends

"It's hard to tell a story, any story, but it's almost impossible if it's your own." ~ 75%

A group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending time together at the pier. Their figures sitting at the end of a long pier are almost unnoticeable in one of the most famous paintings in the world. To the normal eye, the painting is a depiction of the sea. But to Louisa, an artist herself, she wants to find the story behind the people in the corner.

I have no doubt that devout Backman fans will consider this a good read, but I will not recommend it. I am disappointed in the boring plot and unrealistic actions of characters to force a connection. I had to constantly fight the urge to not skim pages at a time. Maybe every Backman book isn't for me.

Happy Pub Day, Fredrik Backman! My Friends is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: My Friends
Author: Fredrik Backman
Published: May 2025
Pages: 448
Edition: Galley
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

"When you Black, it's all for the next generations to come. It ain't never for us, remember that." ~ 82%

Bob the Drag Queen straddles the thin line between entertainment and blasphemy in new release, Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert. 

Harriet Tubman and four of the enslaved persons she led to freedom want to tell their story in a unique way: via a live concert. Picture a musical that she can take on the road. She hires Darnell Williams, a hip-hop producer who once topped the charts before being outed at the BET Awards. Their studio sessions are alive with explanations of the past and hope for a better future.

I am familiar with Bob the Drag Queen because I recently watched the last season of Traitors. He was one of the more entertaining gamers. I did not watch him on RuPaul's Drag Race so he was a new-to-me TV personality. I was excited to read an advance copy of his debut novel. And it's based on a historical figure? Run me that ARC! 

And then I read it. Le sigh! The best way to describe Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is it's the remix to a classic song that no one asked for. Leave Harriet Tubman's legacy where it is please. Adding a fresh modern twist to history is not always a good idea. Sure, it worked with Hamilton because the art was presented in an appropriate format: Broadway. But bringing historical figures back among the living and putting them in a studio to rap about escaping slavery is not quite following the footsteps of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Bob the Drag Queen is doing too much.

While the novel is inventive and the premise is interesting, it was not fully fleshed out. Poor execution. Poor delivery. Poor judgment. Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is overall a bust that I will not recommend.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert
Author: Bob the Drag Queen
Published: March 2025
Pages: 240
Edition: Galley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: 25 Alive

(Women's Murder Club #25) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"I knew better than most that cases could be open for months or years or never solved. But this one would damn well be solved." ~ 25%

My Series Sunday pick is 25 Alive, the 25th book in the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. While bird watching, Sergeant Lindsay Boxer's friend and former partner is murdered in Golden Gate Park. Sadly, a character that readers have known for years is now the victim of a brutal murder. Being a top investigator until the very end, Warren Jacobi managed to leave a clue. The WMC bands together to follow a trail of evidence before the killer takes another one of their own.

Sometimes less is better when it comes to a book review. So as not to spoil the plot, let me show you better than I can tell you.

😰 My reaction at 6%: This how we starting, Patterson & Paetro?!?! 

😲 My reaction at 99%: Whew—what an investigation this was!

This far into a series (25 books in), my expectations are not that high for a page-turning thriller. But this dynamic writing duo pleasantly surprised me and pulled out all the suspense stops for this installment of the Women's Murder Club series. I felt all of the emotions: sadness, anger, anxiety, disbelief, relief and more. It is easily one of my favorite books read so far this year with its perfect pacing, unpredictable plot and character development. Highly recommended!

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro! 25 Alive will be available Monday, April 28.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: 25 Alive

Author: James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Published: April 2025

Pages: 325

Edition: Galley

Genre: Mystery

Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤